When I listen to the Scriptures, I'm seeking a word, a phrase, an idea, or a virtue that teaches me how to absorb the wisdom of that particular gospel into my words, thoughts, and actions. The word that jumps out at me today is watch. It is clearly the word that Jesus is trying to convey. It appears three times in the reading: at the beginning, in the middle, and at the end. What does it mean? To watch means to observe attentively. Jesus is trying to get our attention. This implies that He doesn't feel like He has our attention. Where is your attention? What's at the center of your life? What are you focused on? And what is Jesus inviting us to refocus on?
The phrase that usually gets all the attention in this reading is, "You do not know when the master of the house is coming." Christendom has been obsessed with this question for more than 2,000 years. When will Jesus return? But it doesn't matter. We don't know when Jesus will return, but it doesn't matter. Let me explain why. If you are doing what you should be doing, it doesn't matter when the Master returns. The Scripture reads, "He leaves home and places His servants in charge, each with His work." Each with His work. We've all got our work to do. What's yours? How are you being called to contribute? What role has God asked you to play in His plans? Because if we're doing our work, it doesn't matter when He shows up. This is the idea that strikes me in this passage. It's easy to miss. It's subtle and ordinary and much less spectacular than the message we usually focus on in this passage, and yet, it's infinitely more practical and wise, and most of all, something that is completely within our realm of influence.
The virtue today's gospel invites us to adopt is diligence. Diligence is consistent and earnest effort to accomplish the task at hand, regardless of the situations or circumstances that emerge. Jesus has left us each with our work to do until He returns. Let us seek it diligently, and having found it, let us do it diligently. The gospel of Jesus Christ is as radical and relevant today as ever before. Go out into the world today and astonish people with your diligence. And remember, don't just be yourself. Be the best version of yourself, all that God created you to be.
